Synopsis

Plot

It is January, and the people of Elmore are depressed since Christmas has passed. At the Watterson home, Gumball and Anais decide to make up a new holiday to cheer people up. After much brainstorming, Gumball comes up with the idea of Sluzzle Tag.

In the school bus, Gumball tells Darwin all about Sluzzle Tag, and Sluzzle Dude. At the mention of no school during the (made-up) holiday, the others in the bus (including even Rocky) gather around Gumball to hear about the new holiday. Banana Joe then realizes that Rocky is not driving the bus, and so they crash into Miss Simian's classroom. Hearing about the new holiday, Miss Simian does not believe that it is real. But even the other school staff (specifically Mr. Small and Principal Brown) argue that it is real, and the principal declares no school, and for everyone to take the day off. Everyone leaves the school with joy, except Miss Simian who becomes determined to prove that Sluzzle Tag is a lie.

Later, Gumball, Darwin and Richard go shopping for Sluzzle Tag. After Gumball tells them that they eat junk food during the holiday, Richard invents the Sluzzlewurst which contains all the meat in and on it. He pays for five of them and two bottles of milk which results in his card being completely sucked off its value. Then he and his children go home, with Miss Simian spying on them.

At night, many citizens decorate their toilets for Sluzzle Dude (who, Gumball says, will come out of their toilets to leave them presents). The Wattersons eat a dinner of Sluzzlewursts, watch the Sluzzle Tag special, and bond together. Then Richard and Nicole put their children to sleep.

But as they are just about to sleep, Anais reminds Gumball that Sluzzle Tag is not real, and that Sluzzle Dude will not be coming. Gumball panics that the whole town will be upset with him if all he promises to them will not come true. With the help of Anais, he takes all the leftover Christmas presents from the trash, and sneaks around the town, leaving the presents through the toilet. After Neck Beard uses a toilet Gumball was in, Gumball and Anais start sneaking through alternative ways. Just as they leave a present in their own house, they are caught by Miss Simian who takes a picture of them putting a present in their bathroom. Darwin (who was asleep in the bathroom, waiting for Sluzzle Dude) is shown the photo by Miss Simian, and is about to scream loudly at the truth, but the narrator decided it is best to not show the audience of Darwin screaming because of what happened two episodes earlier. He screamed and imagined the scream of a million chihuahuas. The other citizens and his parents come in the bathroom. Gumball then apologizes to them and confesses that Sluzzle Tag is not real.

Instead of being upset, the citizens sigh in relief. Banana Bob says that he kind of knew that Sluzzle Tag was fake, and the others agree with this. They say that they needed something to cheer them up through January. Then Darwin gives Miss Simian a present and everyone laughs. The episode ends with the narrator saying the moral of this story is "that when life is tough and joy hard to come by, most people are happier believing a lie."

Darwin: Are you sure Sluzzle Dude is a nice guy? Because he sounds pretty metal.

Gumball: Yeah, but you know metalheads -- they pretend to be hardcore, but they're just hippies who like leather.

Darwin: Cool! So do we get a day off school?

Gumball: Of course.

[Everyone gathers around Gumball.]

Rocky: Tell us more. How does he get into houses?

Gumball: Through the toilet.

Darwin: Ew! Why?!

Gumball: Oh, come on, dude. He doesn't want to get covered in soot.

Rocky: And what kind of music do you play on Sluzzle Tag?

Gumball: Grindcore.

Banana Joe: What's grindcore?

Rocky: Grindcore goes a bit like this. [Gruff voice]Raah! Raah rah-rah raah! Rah-rah-rah-rah-rah-rah! It's important not to mix it up with black metal, which is more like... Raaaaaaah! Another common mistake is to confuse it with Viking metal, which sounds more like banging a trash can with an axe.

Banana Joe: Thanks, Rocky, uh, but aren't you supposed to be driving the bus?

Rocky: Yeah, but I'd rather talk about Sluzzle Tag.

[The kids scream while the bus drives itself directly into a right turn. Miss Simian is seen sipping coffee in her classroom, until the bus crashes into the room and surprises her. The students come out.]

Sarah: Happy Sluzzle Tag, Miss Simian!

Lucy Simian: What does that mean?

Darwin: It means we get the day off school, and we get presents from Sluzzle Dude!

Lucy Simian: That sounds like complete megaloney.

Gumball: What's that?

Lucy Simian: It's baloney times a thousand.

Mister Small​​​ [Offscreen] No, it's true!

[He reveals himself, with his face taped into a smile.]

All: UGH!

Lucy Simian: What's with the tape?

Mister Small​​​: It's been so depressing I forgot how to smile and so did my facial muscles, so I improvised. But since it's Sluzzle Tag, I don't need this anymore.

[He takes of the tape, which also pulls of some of his fluff (revealing his real face underneath).]

Richard: By the power of cheese! [Cheese materializes in one hand] By the power of bacon! [Bacon materializes in other hand] By the power of processed meats! [Processed meats appear in a circle above him] By the power of carbs and deep-fat frying! [Brings meats together] I give you… The Sluzzle-wurst! [He finishes his summoning sequence.] It's a sausage with everything in, and on it.

Darwin: Ugh! Each slice of that thing has enough calories to get us to next Sluzzle Tag.

Saving Sluzzle Tag

Narrator: As all in the land lay happy in slumber, the little boy realized his Sluzzle Tag blunder.

Gumball: What do you mean?

Anais: Sluzzle Dude is supposed to give presents to everyone in Elmore.

Gumball: Yeah.

Anais: And you made him up.

Gumball: Yeah.

Anais: So who's gonna bring all of the presents?

Gumball: Well, Sluzzle Dude will, of course. D'oh. I see what you mean now.

Narrator: Well, he realized eventually.

[In the living room, Gumball panics.]

Gumball: Oh my gosh! WHAT HAVE I DONE?! Think about how upset everyone's gonna be when everything I promised doesn't come true! It'll be like... [Imagines Earth blowing up]

Anais: I think you're being overdramatic. It'll be more like... [Imagines a clay model version of Gumball being smashed up]

Gumball: Anais, you have to help me, 'cause Elmore is waiting for a wish to come true [Singing] for presents delivered by their Sluzzle Dude. You cannot deny them their hopes and beliefs! To lift them from sorrow, to save them from grief, to bring such--[Sings in a higher octave]